so they went on running for a long time, steering so as to make
the land and to ease the ships, which they were better able to do at
night when the captain slept, which the other ships did also, as they
followed the lantern which Vasco da Gama carried; at night the ships
showed lights to one another so as not to part company. Seeing how much
they had run, and did not find the land, they sailed larger so as to make
it; and as they did not find it, and as the sea and wind were moderate,
they knew they had doubled the cape; on which great joy fell among them,
and they gave great praise to the Lord on seeing themselves delivered
from death. The pilots continued to sail more free, spreading all the
sails; and, running in this manner, one morning they sighted some
mountain peaks which seemed to touch the clouds; at which their pleasure
was so great that all wept with joy, and all devoutly on their knees said
the _Salve_. After running all day till night, they were not able to
reach it, and discovered great mountain ridges; so, as it was night, they
ran along the coast, which lay from east to west; and they took in all
the sails, only running under large sails, for these were the orders of
the captain-major.

The next day at dawn they again set all the sails and ran to the land, so
that at midday they saw a beach which was all rocky, and, running along
it, they saw deep creeks, and such large bays that they could not see the
land at the end of them; they also found the mouths of great rivers, from
which water came forth to the sea with a powerful current; here also,
near the land, they found many fish, which they killed with fish-spears.
The watchmen in the tops were always on the lookout to see if there were
shoals ahead. The crews grew sick with fever from the fish which they
ate, on which account they ate no more. The pilots, on heaving the lead,
found no bottom; so they ran on for three days, and at night they kept
away from the land and shortened sail.

Sailing in this manner, they fell in with the mouth of a large river, and
the captain-major ordered a boat to be lowered, and the pilot to sound
the entrance of the river; and he said it was superfluous, because if
there was a shoal it would be burst through. Then they took in the sails,
excepting the great one with which they entered the river, which was very
large; and they went up it, the boat going before and sounding, and,
approaching land, where they found twelve fat